The American Band Championship Belt-50 Years of Musical Champions

[worldrecordplayer]

Interesting piece published by Steven Hyden on Grantland.

 

http://grantland.com/features/the-american-band-championship-belt/

 

The title says what it is, his opinion on the best American band year by year (or multiple years in many cases) for the last 50.  I've only skimmed it so far, but a few lines caught my attention.

 

"I tried to be as impartial as one can be when handing out a fictional prize on the basis of perceived artistic value. There are times when I chose groups that I personally don’t feel that strongly about, but whose résumés were indisputable. There were also times when personal favorites got the heave-ho. One of my favorite American bands of all time is the Replacements. The Replacements were not awarded an American Band Championship Belt. This enrages me, and yet it seems just."

 

And in not naming Wilco or YLT for 1996-2000 in favor of Outkast: 

 

"Biggest challenger: There was a time in my life when Wilco’s late-’90s albums — 1996’s Being There and 1999’s Summerteeth — were like the worst kind of drinking buddies, pushing me to punish my liver with stronger and stronger chemicals while wallowing deeper and deeper in my own neuroses. I’m older now, and my buddies and I have chilled out. Now when we get together, I’m usually driving my wife and son around in the car.

Second-biggest challenger: Yo La Tengo is to the ’90s what Spoon is to the ’00s — never considered the era’s best band, even though it put out more great records than anybody."

 

A lot to consider here, I'll have to read it from beginning to end when not at work. 

[bleedorange]

It's a good read and it's hard to really argue with any of his choices. It does illustrate how bad of a period it is collectively for American bands right now when The Black Keys is the champion for the last four years.

[worldrecordplayer]

It's a good read and it's hard to really argue with any of his choices. It does illustrate how bad of a period it is collectively for American bands right now when The Black Keys is the champion for the last four years.

Agreed.  To quote my good buddy:  "I started at the bottom and started to work up. I got to Deerhunter and stopped (prime competition = Vampire Weekend). Really?"

 

My mid-20's kid and friends would say Kanye ruled for those years, but he doesn't qualify as per the author's rules.

[worrierking]

It's a decent enough list.  I don't understand why it has to be limited to bands and not just all artists. Bold pick to take Van Halen in '78.

 

Why is it that the US produces solo artists and England and Australia produce great bands?

[LouieB]

I dunno.....So why is it Sly and Family Stone, but not Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band?

 

I guess if the guy is going to write the article he gets to pick the criteria and make it as convoluted as possible.

 

LouieB

[bleedorange]

He admits to "breaking" this rule twice and offers explanations. For Sly and the Family Stone:

 

Isn’t Sly & the Family Stone an “and the” band? “And the” is right there in the name, after all. Actually, it’s not. Stone was out front, but “family” is the operative word here. The idea of different genders and races playing this celebratory music as a joyous unit was the whole point of Stone’s music.

 

Sometimes reading helps.

[LouieB]

Yea, reading does help. I didn't read the whole thing admittedly.  Since it is his article he can create whatever parameters he wants I guess.  At some point I just wasn't that interested in reading the entire thing.  What you call your band isn't really that important. All bands are made up of leaders and the folks who play the parts.  I mean the Beach Boys were a bunch of guys doing the singing, a guy writing songs with help from people outside the band, studio musicians, and people helping doing the arranging. Not exactly a band either. And LCD Soundsystem is one guy with a band name.

 

LouieB

[mountain bed]

Well HELL YES The Dead in 1972. But...no Public Enemy? I'm good with Wu-Tang, but PE MUST be one of the most important bands of the last 25+ years.